Erase objects from digital photos
Published: February 15, 2006
Do you have a photo where the photo would be just right if you could just remove an object or person that appears in the photo? For example, look at the following picture, which would be improved if we could just take out that smoke trail in the upper left corner.
Take a look at how the picture is improved when the smoke trail is removed.
You can remove the unwanted object or person using digital imaging software, such as Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006. Digital Image Suite 2006 has a tool named Smart Erase that was made for this purpose. This article will explain how to use Smart Erase to remove unwanted objects in a digital photo.
Note
Before you edit your digital photos, it's a good idea to make a copy of the original image and make your edits to that copy. This way, you preserve the original image in case you need to go back to it.
To remove unwanted objects in your photos
1. | Open your photo in Microsoft Digital Suite 2006 Editor. |
2. | If the Common Tasks pane is not open, click Common Tasks. |
3. | In Common Tasks, in Touchup, click Smart Erase. 
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4. | Click and drag a loose outline around the first object you want to remove, and then click the starting point to complete the outline. When you've closed the outline around the object, the pointer will change from a cross hair to a cross hair with a small black box in the center. This indicates that the selection is complete. 
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5. | To add to an existing outline or to outline multiple areas in your photo using the Smart Erase tool, hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard as you make each selection. 
You can also remove parts of a selection by holding the ALT key on your keyboard and using your mouse to select the area that you want to remove from a selection. |
6. | After you've finished selecting the objects that you want to remove, in the Smart Erase task pane, click Fill in. 
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7. | (Optional) If you don't get the results you hoped for, do one of the following, and then experiment until you get just the right look: | • | To start all over from the beginning and undo all of your changes, in the Smart Erase task pane, click Reset. | | • | To go back in your changes one step at a time, in the Smart Erase task pane, click Undo last action. |
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8. | Click Done. |
9. | On the File menu, click Save or Save As to save your edited picture. |
 | Kleber Stephenson is Director of Seminars/Director of Windows Technologies for KW Media Group, Inc. He is the author of Windows XP Killer Tips (Pearson Education), Microsoft Office 2003 Killer Tips (New Riders Press), and Learn Windows XP for 5 Bucks (Peachpit Press), and is the co-author of The iTunes for Windows Book (Peachpit Press).
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